The Good | Winter 2020 | Volume 9

thegood CAMPBELL HALL MAGAZINE

WINTER 2020 I VOL .9

thegood CAMPBELL HALL MAGAZINE

ON T HE C OVER

Students in Greg Williams’ Engineering Principles class build an inflatable whitewater raft (above) which they float on the Colorado River during the 11th grade experiential education trip to Moab.

Read the full story on page 50. Cover photo credit: Ray Griffin 14

FROM THE HEADMASTER By The Rev. Canon Julian Bull

features 16

A HIGHLAND JOURNEY By Suzanne Turpin

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A SIGN OF LIFE By Angelina P. ’20

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THE NEW AGE OF STUDENT ACTIVISM By Stephanie Farley

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GOING GLOBAL: A CAMPBELL HALL FAMILY ADVENTURE

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LET THEM SLEEP!

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DANCING QUEEN

15

MUSIC TO OUR EARS

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GRACE: A POWERFUL GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT By Carolyn LaGaly

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BESTSELLING AUTHOR NIC STONE VISITS CH

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FROM THE PIPER: FEMALE-LED ROBOTICS

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FROM THE PIPER: THE KINDNESS CHALLENGE

advancement good people

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JOE SOLA: AN EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

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RESILIENCE + MINDFULNESS By Catherine Singer

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INSPIRING STUDENTS TO BE THE CHANGE By Katherine B. ’20

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL

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CAMPBELL HALL ALUMNI COURTYARD

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THE CAMPBELL HALL ANNUAL FUND

By Dr. Melissa Noel and Dr. Leticia Sanchez

student accomplishments

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NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVISM

48

A CUT ABOVE: BRYCE L. ’20

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A RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO SEX EDUCATION: DR. TIFFANI KOCSIS

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WE DID NOT SINK! By Ava M. ’21 and Talia T. ’21

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THE PIPER + SPEECH & DEBATE

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INSPIRING FRIENDSHIPS: SHANE’S INSPIRATION

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NY TIMES PHOTO CONTEST: ABBY Z. ’20

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PROJECT GIVING KIDS By Brandy Curry

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GIVING FOR GOOD: HILLSIDES INGATHERING

good sports 54 friends for good 64

good vibes

good times

20

WALL SHOW III

33

PHOTOGRAPHY

58

PERFORMING ARTS

34

HOMECOMING FOOTBALL + CARNIVAL

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HALLOWEEN PARADE

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13-YEAR STUDENTS VISIT KINDERGARTEN

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GOLF & TENNIS CLASSIC

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EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION TRIPS

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HERITAGE FAMILIES

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LA FAMILIA

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KOREAN PARENT ASSOCIATION

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7TH GRADE GRANDPARENTS’ + GRANDFRIENDS’ DAY

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GRANDPARENT ESCAPE ROOM ADVENTURE

FALL SEASON ATHLETIC UPDATES ALUMNI Alumnus Noah Benardout ’13 Events Alumni Courtyard Dedication Class Notes

credits Editorial Hilary Palmer Rehder ’94 Director of Communications Vivianne Fernquist Associate Director of Communications Design Suzanne Turpin Contributors Danny Baker/Epic Imagery Parent Photographers Student Photographers Teacher Photographers

FROM THE

headmaster

BY TH E REV. CANON JULI AN BULL

was fortunate to join four colleagues in attending the most recent national Conference on Spirituality in Education at Columbia Teachers’ College in New York in November. Campbell Hall was honored as an exemplary school and I was invited to speak in the opening panel about how we build transformative school culture at CH. My colleagues and I left the conference proud but also overwhelmed by how much more there is to do to be equal to the existential crises of our times.

We need neither to change course, nor to stay the course; we need to continue what we have been doing all along, but with greater urgency and focus.

Campbell Hall’s profound commitment to SSEL - social, spiritual, and emotional learning - has always set us apart. It is time to be bolder in acknowledging the relevance and efficacy of that commitment. I think of Frederick Buechner’s statement that “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” We may think of Campbell Hall’s powerful sense of community as a nice add-on feature to the main event, a strong academic program, but the soulful and optimistic approach to work that Campbell Hall cultivates is actually the main event, the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s great need right now. Living and working in that nexus of joy and relevance is where we may find inspiration.

I marvel at the flow of events most days here at Campbell Hall: one conversation and task lead to the next, with a general sense of creativity and accomplishment. Great women and men have always insisted that inspiration is readily available if we approach life the right way. There are remarkable things happening right now on this campus - read about them in this issue of The Good - and many more to come as we live into the fullness of our mission, the nexus of our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger.

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We may think of Campbell Hall’s powerful sense of community as a nice add-on feature to the main event, a strong academic program, but the soulful and optimistic approach to work that Campbell Hall cultivates is actually the main event, the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s great need right now. Living and working in that nexus of joy and relevance is where we may find inspiration.”

—Julian Bull

The Good I WINTER 2020 5

A Highland Journey Exploring Campbell Hall’s Scottish Heritage

BY S U ZAN NE TURPI N, PARENT OF ALUMNAE

his past summer, my husband and I took a twoweek trip to Scotland; our itinerary was divided equally between golfing and touring the Scottish Highlands. As avid golfers, we wanted to visit the birthplace of golf and play some of those storied courses. However, one of the most memorable parts of our trip was a visit to Inveraray Castle.

Inveraray Castle is the grand seat that houses the chief of the Clan Campbell, a Highland Scottish clan. Historically, one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll, and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll. The castle is the ancestral home to the 13th Duke of Argyll, Torquhil Ian Campbell, and he and his family reside there year-round.

Coincidently, I had recently spent several months, alongside CH archivist Vivianne Fernquist, designing Campbell Hall’s 75th Anniversary book, 75 Years of Good. In the book’s timeline, we included a photo and mention of the 1979 visit to Campbell Hall by the 12th Duke of Argyll, Ian Campbell.

My curiosity was piqued. I looked at our tentative itinerary,

and it was only a slight detour to include a visit to Inveraray Castle. Perhaps I could bring a Campbell Hall 75th Anniversary book and leave it for the Duke and his family?

To reach Inveraray Castle, we traveled from Inverness along the Caledonian Canal through the western Highland’s spectacular hills, lochs, and glens. We arrived in the charming town of Inveraray, situated in Argyll, on the banks of Loch Fyne, just minutes from the castle. As we drove into the castle grounds, I noticed a small building with an “Office” sign adjacent to the castle. We pulled over and went in, hoping to get our Campbell Hall book into the hands of the Campbell family. We met a very pleasant woman who was thrilled to meet us, and said she would certainly deliver the book to the Duke.

As we toured the castle’s public spaces, I was struck and moved by the many connections I could make between Scotland, Inveraray Castle, and Campbell Hall. I knew of Dr. Campbell’s (Campbell Hall’s founder) Scottish roots, but now I was able to see firsthand the deep connection between the traditions of Campbell Hall and the rich history of Scotland.

(l-r): Above: Press clippings, photos, and correspondence related to the 12th Duke of Argyll’s visit to Campbell Hall and Los Angeles; Campbell Hall’s 75th Anniversary Book alongside a signed copy of Inveraray Castle & Gardens: Fairytale Highland Home of The Duke & Duchess of Argyll commemorative book.

Below: Inveraray Castle; Town of Inveraray along Loch Fyne, and the Castle (pointed out in the foreground); the Caledonian Canal.

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“I was able to see firsthand the deep connection between the traditions of Campbell Hall and the rich history of Scotland.”

These connections include: Highlands – A historic region of Scotland with a diversity of natural and architectural landscape between city, countryside and coast across the region. It’s the Scotland of your imagination— big skies, mind-blowing landscapes, and hospitable people.

Highlanders Club – Campbell Hall’s high school former service club.

Argyll—A maritime county in the west of Scotland, bounded on the north by Inverness, on the east by the counties of Inverness, Perth, and Dumbarton, and on the south and west by the Firth of Clyde and the Atlantic Ocean. It contains about 50 parishes and six civil districts. It includes the royal burghs of Inveraray and Campbeltown and has several other small towns and villages.

Argyll Episcopal Academy – Campbell Hall’s first high school that opened in 1963 as an all-girls high school.

Campbell Clan Coat of Arms – The ships depicted on the Coat of Arms (above right) and in Campbell Hall’s crest (above left) were prominently displayed in large silver and gold ornaments on the grand dining table of the castle.

Scottish tartans and kilts – Campbell Hall plaid uniforms.

Caledonian Canal – 60-mile waterway bisecting the country and providing passage through a series of lochs and 29 locks The Caledonian – The Campbell Hall yearbook.

Bagpipes –Played at many places we visited throughout our trip, and played at Campbell Hall for special occasions including graduation, Baccalaureate, Bagpiper’s Ball, and other milestone events.

And like our Campbell Hall mission statement, we found the Scottish to be incredibly decent, kind and loving people.

In late August, I heard from the Duke via email. He thanked me for the book and wrote, “I am very occasionally in your part of the world, and will have to try and find the opportunity of visiting the school. I loved seeing the picture of my father all those years ago.”

We wrote back, included a compilation of letters and photos from his father’s visit in 1979, along with a very enthusiastic invitation to visit our campus. Perhaps Torquhil Ian Campbell, chief of Clan Campbell and 13th Duke of Argyll, will soon grace our campus. What a wonderful visit that would be!

In the end, the golf was superb but gaining an appreciation of the Scottish roots and traditions of Campbell Hall, a place our family has been associated with for nearly 20 years, left us with a deeper appreciation of what makes Campbell Hall the special place it is today.

The Good I WINTER 2020 7

A Sign of Life Student Council Installation Speech

BY ANGELINA P. ’20, STUDENT B ODY PRESI DENT

The United States’ Navy has confirmed it. The mysterious flying objects spotted over San Diego are, in fact, UFOs. We don’t know what they are, where they came from, or what they’re doing here.

So, it’s official. The aliens are here. I’ve thought a lot about how humanity will react when flying saucers filled with martians land on Mt. Rushmore, and I’ve reached this conclusion. There are two fates for humanity: we will either become a united global community that is prepared to take on the universe, or we will destroy ourselves before that can happen. Right now, it looks like humans aren’t going to make it long enough to actually get to meet these aliens from San Diego.

We are bombarded with news of terrorism, shootings, death, and violence; climate change is causing sea levels to rise, natural disasters are becoming more frequent, and 200 species go extinct every day. It feels like Gen-Z was passed a ticking time bomb, with no instructions on how to turn it off. It’s easy to collapse under this pressure. It’s easy to go through life ignoring these problems. It’s easy to surrender in a seemingly hopeless war. But we’re not a group that gives up easily.

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Regardless of the scope of an issue, at Campbell Hall we stand up for what we believe in. I have seen you strike for gun control and for a green new deal. I have seen you stand up against sexual assault and show resilience in the face of adversity. Following the tragedies of this summer, freshmen you have put us all in awe by fundraising for the Trevor Project, and Lily creating the Noah Benardout Foundation, putting an end to DUI’s, you are saving lives.

Campbell Hall, with the weight of the world placed on you, you do not falter you protest, you kick, you scream. In contrast to our current society controlled by adults fueled by greed with no long-term plan for human existence, we are marching head-first into life, insisting there is a better world out there waiting to be made.

We make up a generation of changemakers. You all give me hope that we can rise to the world’s challenges and make this world a better place. You all give me hope that when the San Diego aliens descend, we will be able to greet them with open arms. Campbell Hall, we are strong and I have no doubt we will be able to conquer the world. Continue moving forward, continue creating change, let’s continue to build a better home.

The New Age of Student Activism

BY S T EPHANIE FARLEY, MI DDLE SCH OOL AS SI STANT PRI NCI PAL

If you happened to be walking through the middle school quads in late October, you would have been greeted by students marching, clapping, and chanting refrains like,

“What do we want? No hate! When do want it? Now!” or…

“We want houses...for the homeless!”

In the 8th grade history classes, students had been studying how social movements work and the role of art in promoting social change. Students were then presented with five social issues they could investigate: child labor; hate crimes; homelessness; gender equality; and LGBTQ rights. After a few weeks of research, students were asked to develop a plan of action in support of their cause.

In the afternoon, students rotated through five activities that asked them to put their new knowledge into action by calling California senators and representatives, emailing the Republican and Democratic National Committees, making protest art, considering how to use social media to spread awareness, and marching.

Students were keen to dig into their topics, spread awareness, and advocate for their cause.

Marika G. ’24 said, “Young teenagers

sometimes feel we can’t really do much to make a difference in the world, and The Activism Project showed us that we can do something really positive.”

Cy L. ’24 added, “It was really educa-

On a Friday morning in October, every student presented their action plan to an expert on their topic. We had 12 experts on campus, ranging from attorneys for the National Lawyers’ Guild to the Vice President of Programs at the Union Rescue Mission to college professors to police officers. The experts gave feedback to the students on their action plans, provided context about the issues, and deepened students’ understanding of how they could make positive change on complex issues.

tional, and it turns out that there are a lot of possibilities for kids our age to make a difference.”

Nikolas C. ’24 offered, “I thought it was interesting that there

was an actual activist there sitting with us while we did our presentations and giving us feedback on our projects.”

The Activism Project not only provided students with an experience of academic rigor, but it also guided them to an understanding of what it means to be decent, loving, and responsible human beings.

The Good I WINTER 2020 9

GOING GLOBAL A Campbell Hall Family Adventure

BY CAROLYN LAGALY, H I GH SCH OOL PRI NCI PAL

uring a Campbell Hall strategic planning meeting five years ago, Kevin Kelley, High School math teacher and former 9th grade dean, introduced the idea of starting a comprehensive global education program. The committee gave their resounding approval and Kevin, after much research and with the support of the administration, introduced the Service Travel and Exchange Program (STEP) to the community in 2016. The program is comprised of an international travel component for students and exchange component for both students and teachers.

Since the launch of STEP, more than 50 students have participated in 4 international trips including Iceland, Nepal, Japan, and China. Upcoming trips include Costa Rica, Armenia, and Mexico. In addition, two CH students have taken part in a study abroad program and Campbell Hall’s own international student Beiqi W. ’20, a Chinese national, will be graduating this June.

Kevin felt that the next step to advance the global education program was to lay the groundwork and create a pipeline for teachers to be able to have an international teaching experience. “There is a real value in teachers learning about the best practices of other institutions,” Kevin says, “and to then share this knowledge with other CH teachers and integrate new ideas in the classroom.”

To advance this program, Kevin and his wife Hawa along with their children Arya ’24 and Kamron ’21, embarked on an exciting adventure to spend the 2018-19 school year abroad at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS), an international K-12 boarding and day school. Kevin selected this school 10 campbell hall magazine I WINTER 2020

because of its close curricular alignment to Campbell Hall which allowed Arya and Kamron’s courses taken abroad to transfer seamlessly when they returned home. Set in the quaint Italian-speaking resort town of Lugano and situated near Lake Como, TASIS students hail from 54 nations and more than 35 different languages can be heard spoken on campus.

It took some time for the Kelley family to acclimate to their new life. One of the first challenges they had to navigate was trying to figure out how the stove worked in their Swiss apartment. Kevin and Hawa turned the stove on, put a pan on the burner only to have the heat source immediately go out.

After repeating this cycle several times and checking the manuals (which were in Italian), Kevin finally had to ask for help. It turns out they had to use special pans for their induction stove.

Kevin had to navigate some challenges in the classroom as well.

As he explains: “Teaching math to students in an international school whose primary language is not English, who come from differing educational systems, and with varying mathematical abilities forced me to reexamine my approach to teaching as a whole.” Ultimately, he says, this was beneficial to his teaching process. “I went back to basics, organized materials more effectively, and presented clear instructions without ambiguity.”

Kamron, who was in 10th grade at the time, also had to adjust to a revised schedule and missed Campbell Hall’s studentcentered schedule of late start, longer passing periods, and a break in the middle of the day. Soon both Kamron and Arya got into the swing of their new school, participating in sports and making great friends. Arya, as a seventh grade student, was

Kevin’s math class

even cast in the high school play. The enthusiasm and engagement of the entire Kelley family was noticed and admired by the faculty and administration of TASIS. The Headmaster told Kevin that he would love to welcome more Campbell Hall students and teachers for a study or work abroad experience.

The Kelley family loved the entire international experience. When asked what he and his family would miss most about living abroad, Kevin immediately answered, “the traveling.” Weekends and breaks consisted of jaunts to neighboring countries like Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, Turkey, and Greece. Traveling between countries was so easy that Kevin

would often tell his family, “We’re going out to dinner, grab your passport!”

Kevin believes that living among both teacher and student expatriates from around the world and the varied travel experiences they enjoyed provided his family with broad exposure to other people’s perspectives and helped shape their world views. They gained confidence in their ability to navigate a host of challenges, fully engaged in the lifestyle of a different culture, and made scores of new friends in the process.

Kevin also came away with a deeper appreciation for Campbell Hall. “The way that Campbell Hall provides support to its students academically, socially, and emotionally is completely unique. The administration trusts the faculty to

constantly seek out the best way to teach because they have faith that we can do great things. I could not have asked for better support for this life-changing experience.”

Using the TASIS service learning model, Kevin is hoping to integrate the global education program into the high school curriculum by establishing grade-level “cause groups” and ensuring every STEP trip includes a service learning component anchored by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

To learn more about the Student Travel and Exchange Program (STEP), please contact Coordinator Kevin Kelley at 818.

505.2457 or kelleyk@campbellhall.org.

The Good I WINTER 2020 11

Let Them Sleep!

CH Late Start Featured on NBC News

Campbell Hall was profiled on NBC 4 News LA by reporter Mario Solis, who interviewed Director of Athletics Juan Velazquez, Coach Dennis Keyes and student athlete Nathan A. ’20, who articulated the positive impact late-start times have had on athletic performance. More sleep has equated to more energy in the classroom and on the fields and courts.

While California recently became the first state to mandate later start times for public schools, Campbell Hall was one of the first schools in the country to move to a late-start model.

Beginning in the 2011-12 school year, Campbell Hall, in response to medical research that indicated biological sleep patterns shift in adolescence, adjusted start times for grades 7-12 to 8:50am four days a week and 9:30am on Wednesdays. This was ahead of a 2014 policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics calling for schools to move start times to 8:30am or later for middle and high schools.

Students report having more energy and focus as a result of the adjusted school schedule. “I was so relieved to have

a later start time,” said a ninth grade student new to Campbell Hall. “My last school started early and I had trouble focusing in my first class. Being able to sleep later makes me less stressed because I am more rested, which helps me be more productive during the day.”

Because teenagers have difficulty falling asleep at night, more sleep is needed in the morning. According to the Centers for Disease Control: “Not getting enough sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks including being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs, as well as poor academic performance. One of the reasons adolescents do not get enough sleep is early school start times.”

Campbell Hall’s long history of instituting research-driven best practices led to the school’s adjusted schedule. “As part of our holistic approach to education, we prioritize the health and wellness of all our students,” said Headmaster Julian Bull. “The late-start research made it overwhelmingly clear that this would be a monumental benefit to our developing teenagers. Since its implementation, we’ve seen a dramatic shift in both the academic achievements of our secondary students as well as their overall emotional well-being.”

Coach Dennis Keyes sitting down with NBC’s Mario Solis

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NBC’s Mario Solis interviewing Nathan A. ’20

Dancing Queen Q&A with Senior Dance Student Thalia G. ’20

Secondary ballet teacher Lee Wilhoite sat down with 13-year student and dancer Thalia G. ’20 to discuss her journey as a longstanding dancer in Campbell Hall’s The Nutcracker.

How many years have you been in The Nutcracker?

I’ve been dancing in the Nutcracker for 11 years.

Do you have a favorite memory from being in The Nutcracker?

Tech week is something I always look forward to every year. I get to see everyone’s dances for the first time and see how different or similar they are from previous years. It’s also a week that can be so exhausting that you get into crazy moods where everything is almost funny. I have some of my best memories from tech week.

What drives you to be a part of The Nutcracker?

shows take up a great deal of time during the year and you have to learn how to balance both academic and artistic life.

What was it like watching the older students when you were younger?

It was surreal watching older students perform when I was younger because I never thought I would get there. Seeing the older dancers perform the big roles like Dolls, Clara, and Snow Queen was so inspiring—it’s crazy that now I’m dancing those roles.

Did you know you were going to do dance through 12th grade?

Honestly, yes. I looked forward to doing senior dance since I was in 7th grade.

What was your favorite costume?

Snow Queen

It is a tradition to me now -- it’s part of what makes it feel like Christmas. Also, just anticipating what roles I could be really motivate me to audition each year.

Are there any life lessons that you have learned by being a part of The Nutcracker that apply to your life outside of dance?

It has taught me to stay committed and realize that it doesn’t matter what happened 5 minutes or 3 days before, as long as I put my best foot forward and I'm satisfied with the results, it will be okay. I feel like I'm more responsible with time management because the

What is your proudest moment?

Getting cast as Clara because it’s something as a dancer in the Nutcracker, you always want to be.

Music to Our Ears CH Music Department Receives Custom Harpsichord

double-manual harpsichord has been on the music department's wish list for over a decade. Thanks to the generous donation of CH parent Nicole Mendez through the Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Foundation, this wish became a reality. “My family is delighted to have the opportunity to provide Campbell Hall with a harpsichord. We hope this classical instrument will provide a unique learning experience for the students,” said Nicole Mendez (pictured 3rd from right in above photo, with her brother Rafael Mendez, middle, and her daughter Sophia P. ’23, to the left of her).

The exquisite harpsichord was custom-made for Campbell Hall and features the school logo, “Ne Obliviscaris” (never forget) as well Campbell Hall’s founding year in Roman numerals.

To unveil this magnificent instrument to the community, the music department held an inaugural harpsichord concert (above) made up of alumni, students, and faculty. The lunchtime concert drew an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd.

“The harpsichord is such a special gift, but it was made even more special to me when I found out that the donor was the Rafael and Sharyl Mendez Foundation. As a trumpet player, Rafael Mendez has always been a musical hero of mine ever since I can remember. Rafael Mendez’s musical legacy will live on at Campbell Hall through this beautiful gift to our community,” said Jim Whiting, secondary performing arts teacher.

The harpsichord will be used in a range of performing arts events including lunchtime recitals, high school and middle school orchestra concerts, middle school catacombs, and more.

The Good I WINTER 2020 15

GRACE: A Powerful Generosity of Spirit

BY C AR OLY N LAGALY, H I GH SCH OOL PRI NCI PAL

Excerpt from a November 2019 chapel homily delivered in high school chapel.

I have come to realize that sometimes we should feel like we don’t know what to do. We should feel like the task, the job, is bigger

shadows of society. They’re easily moved by stories of suffering and step into the breach to heal.”

than we are–that we’re not fully up to it in some way. If we are just a bit afraid of the enormity of something we’ve undertaken, if we feel vulnerable in the face of what’s in front of us, that just might be an indication that we are humbled by its seriousness, and that we understand the great responsibility and obligation we have to it and to others. We are not weak or flawed in these moments but instead some might say more fully alive, more attuned to the help we need. And when we recognize our own need for help, we are often more aware of the help that we can give to others. And vulnerability doesn’t go away with experience. Poet and philosopher David Whyte says, “The only choice we have as we mature is how we inhabit our vulnerability, how we become larger, and more courageous, and more compassionate….”

The more I read, the more I understood why this piece struck me so profoundly: I realized that grace is one of the most important and defining characteristics of our experience together at Campbell Hall. It is exactly what I felt struggling as a new teacher and have continued to benefit from as I have navigated my own professional and personal life here over many years. And my own children, who spent 13 years of their lives here, agreed as we sat around the table together. When we make errors, doubt our own decisions, struggle to stay on top of things, have difficulty balancing all the components of our complicated lives, others here choose to see the best in us, remembering for us that errors are a means of learning, that mistakes can make us better people, that we all lead complex lives known only to us, and that we are all just doing the best we can in any moment.

Which brings me to the concept of grace–and not just the simple elegance or poise we may think of when we hear the word. On Christmas Eve last year, I remember sitting at our dining room table visiting with my three grown kids, probably reminiscing about holiday traditions we shared as a family when they were children. I had just read an Op Ed in The New York Times titled, “The Uncommon Power of Grace” in which author Peter Wehner describes a “conference in comparative religions where experts from around the world debated which belief, if any, was unique to the Christian faith.” Apparently, author and theologian C.S. Lewis, upon entering the room, “responded: ‘Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.’”

But living gracefully, it turns out, is hard. “Most of us, when we feel wronged, want payback,” the Op Ed writer remarks. “Our first impulse, when hurt or offended, is to strike out, justifying our anger in the name of fairness.” Just last week, former President Barack Obama objected in The New York Times to the prevalence of “call-out culture.” “The world is messy; there are ambiguities,” he said. “People who do really good stuff have flaws. People who you are fighting...share certain things with you.” He continued: “I do get a sense sometimes now… [that] there is this sense...of: ‘The way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people...and that’s enough.’ ”

As I read the piece, I was less interested in “Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions,” than I was struck by how familiar this religious concept seemed. And I found my strong connection to it surprising as someone without any religious identity.

“If you find yourself in the company of people whose hearts have been captured by grace, count yourself lucky,” Wehner says. “They love us despite our messy lives, stay connected to us through our struggles, always holding out the hope of redemption. When relationships are broken...it’s grace that causes people not to give up, to extend the invitation to reconnect, to work through misunderstandings with sensitivity and transparency.”

The author continues: “You don’t sense hard edges, dogmatism, or self-righteous judgment from gracious people. There’s a tenderness about them that opens doors that had previously been bolted shut. People who have been transformed by grace have a special place in their hearts for those living in the 16 campbell hall magazine I WINTER SUMMER2020 2019

But we all know that’s not enough. Because not only is the world messy but being part of a community like ours is too. As students and adults, most of the time, our days are rewarding and joyful, largely filled with challenging work and demanding activities both inside and outside of school. But there are difficult times, painful episodes, and hard stretches to be sure.

And these are the moments where the gift of grace can so generously be given and so thankfully received. Let’s all choose to see the best in other people, to see things in their complexity, to not be quick to judge, to not give up on one another, and to “work through [issues] with sensitivity and transparency.”

As we work through issues, there are times when we all need to make our voices heard and powerfully advocate for change, especially in the face of real problems locally and globally that demand our best efforts. It can feel especially hard or even misplaced to extend oneself gracefully in these moments, and I’m not sure how we strike that balance in this landscape. But I do know our community and our world require understanding as well as justice, and that all of us, as decent, loving, and responsible human beings, are poised to meet that challenge.

Bestselling Author Nic Stone Visits Middle School

New York Times bestselling author, Nic Stone, addressed middle school chapel about her unconventional journey to become a writer. Following chapel, Ms. Stone visited 8th grade English classes for small group sessions to discuss her novel, Dear Martin, which the students were reading as part of the curriculum.

The book boldly tackles race relations in America.

David Turner, who teaches Dear Martin, touts the book as “a way to expose the kids to a perspective they most likely haven’t read before.” He goes on to say, “I love doing contemporary fiction with the students, and this book is incredibly topical. Nic Stone doesn’t shy away from some really tough, controversial issues involving race, and I think it’s really important for our students to read about and discuss these topics.”

Andrea Turner was also glad to bring Dear Martin to the 8th graders this year.

“Justyce’s story fits so well in a curriculum that highlights strong teenagers having to deal with very grown-up issues,” says Andrea. “I sincerely hope that reading the book in English class and having the opportunity to talk about the book with the author allowed the students a safe space to discuss race and prejudice.”

The students were equally enthusiastic about Ms. Stone’s visit. It was a chance for them to engage with the author on the book’s themes and characters as well as the writing process.

Nicole W. ‘24: “Before I read the book, I hardly ever thought about racism and police brutality. The only time I would was when it came up on the news. Dear Martin really opened my eyes to what was happening.”

Frankie K ‘24: “The best part of Nic Stone’s visit was when she talked to our class. She gave honest, funny answers to each question that we asked her. Her spunky personality made the class laugh, and I wish she stayed longer with us.”

Katie S. ‘24: “I really enjoyed being able to ask her questions face-to-face and I found it a lot of fun. I loved the book Dear Martin and when I got to meet the author in person and ask her questions it was a great experience.”

Matthew K. ‘24: “In my opinion, the importance of reading Dear Martin in 8th Grade English is pretty significant.

In this day and age where brutal racism exists, it is imperative that students and youth learn about this type of news. The experience meeting Nic Stone was interesting to say the least. She was a brilliant and positive author, always cracking jokes and her advice for writing was stellar in helping me write more.”

Sydney S ‘24: “My favorite part of Nic Stone coming to visit was learning about the books she wrote but never finished or published. It was nice to know that she had many failures before she had any successes because it helped me realize that it is ok to fail.”

The Good I WINTER 2020 17

FROM

the piper

Female-led ROBOTICS Article originally featured in the November 2019 issue of The Piper, Campbell Hall’s student-run newspaper.

BY A M A N DA S. ’2 1 AND KAYLA F. ’2 1

xhilarating, exciting and now, female-dominant, the Campbell Hall robotics team continues to thrive. As technology is changing, so are the people who are creating it. This can be said for growth in female representation on the robotics team. The team, which used to be maledominated, now has a female captain along with many new female members.

Dr. Amanda Dye, physics teacher and a faculty advisor of the robotics team, has noticed an increase in female representation in the science community as negative stereotypes continue to break down.

“The stigma of engineering and science being more of a male [dominated] field is starting to [break] down,” Dye said. “There’s a lot more push towards female astronauts and female scientists as a whole.”

A third or fourth of the team are girls. Quinn G. ’21, the team captain and a member since freshman year, hopes that this number can raise to up to fifty percent in coming years.

“The [robotics] team [does] a pretty good job at having a good amount of [female] representation on the team, [especially] in [regards] to this past school year,” Quinn said. “[However], we really do want more girls to join since there are so many opportunities for girls in STEM or robotics.”

Although there has been an increase of female involvement in the sciences, Dye has seen firsthand the unfair perception girls in STEM receives. “[In order] to be a woman in robotics, [people] think you have to fit this almost nerdy sense of being; [that you have to be] super booksmart but have no social life [and that] you are solely concerned with science,” Dye said. “There’s this [stigma] that you can’t be pretty and do math at the same time [and there is] this misconception that because you’re in robotics you’re [less feminine].”

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However, Jenna G. ’21, a member of the robotics team, knows the negative stigma surrounding girls in robotics does not taint the Campbell Hall community.

“The dynamic I have with my teammates is strictly based [on] respect,” Jenna said. “Every member on the team has a special skill, whether it be from coding to drilling to working the heavy machines. Everyone has their own place on the team and everyone helps out.”

Much like Jenna, Jacqueline O. ’20 feels as though the robotics team is an extremely safe environment for her to learn and discover her newfound passion for robotics.

Though intimidated at first, Jacqueline believes that while there is a male dominant presence, such presence shouldn't be feared, as everyone is welcome on the team.

“I definitely think that there are misconceptions of women in robotics and STEM in general,” Jacqueline said.

“Robotics specifically is a combination of a lot of skills that are stereotyped as being manly. I think that girls also get nervous to join. They think they won’t be an asset to the team if they can’t code or engineer, but that is very false. I was definitely nervous that I wouldn’t be an asset, but I learned when I joined that there is a lot for me to do.”

Dye believes that women in robotics and science are held to a higher standard than their male components, which can make it more difficult to gain respect in the workplace. “[As a girl in robotics] you have to prove yourself more,” Dye said. “There’s this idea that you have to prove to everyone ‘I’ve earned my place here, I know what I’m doing, I’m not just here to look pretty.’ Culture in itself built this stereotype that [robotics] is more of a maledominated field.”

The Kindness Challenge Article originally featured in the December 2019 issue of The Piper, Campbell Hall’s student-run newspaper.

BY N OA S. ’2 2 A N D O W EN P. ’2 0

Hart Campbell ’23 was a beloved Campbell Hall student. He and his sister, Ruby, were tragically killed when their vehicle was struck by a drunk driver while on their way home from a family trip to Joshua Tree with parents, Gail Lerner and Colin Campbell, in June 2019. arlier this year, Colin Campbell announced in chapel that he had created a challenge in Hart’s memory. Hart’s pure kindness led Campbell to create the Campbell Hall Kindness Challenge in order to inspire the community to try each day and be a little bit kinder, as Hart valued kindness over all else.

“The challenge truly came from the idea that Hart was upset about people not being kind to each other,” Campbell said. “It really bothered him and he would complain about it at the dinner table. I would ask him all the time at dinner, ‘How was school?, ‘What did you learn?’, And I would often get a response of ‘It was good’, or ‘Nothing’. So he wasn’t actually that forthcoming, except when it came to these issues of kindness and people being mean to each other. This challenge is just so true to his values.”

To participate in the Kindness Challenge, high school students or faculty write down a kind action that they received, or about a kind deed they witnessed, and drop it in the suggestion box in the library. At the end of the year, the person who has shown the most kind actions will be selected to receive $200 for a charity of their choice and $200 for the person to keep.

Campbell created this challenge to show that kindness is important, but also to break down stigmas with teens around kindness.

“The idea is to get people thinking about acts of kindness as something that’s valued,” Campbell said. “[It’s] to create a culture that turns acts of kindness into something cool.”

As well as motivating students to be kinder to one another, Campbell also believes that it will help those who are having a hard time going through middle school and high school, much like Hart’s sister, Ruby.

“High school and middle school can be really challenging times for people,” Campbell said. “I know [that] they were for Ruby, and I think that if we can all just be kinder to each other it would make [middle and high school] so much more enjoyable.”

Campbell thought it was important to commemorate his children in an uplifting way. The challenge was born out of one of Hart’s more memorable, lighthearted adventures when Hart’s aunt was taking care of him for a day. “[Hart’s aunt] was babysitting him and he wasn’t feeling well [but] she really wanted to get him to school,” Campbell said.

“The challenge was born out of a difficult time that eventually became a lighthearted family anecdote. When Hart was in seventh grade, his sister, Ruby, was struggling with depression.

His aunt Betsy came to stay with us and helped out, and one day when Gail and I were busy with Ruby it was Betsy’s job to get him to school. Hart was so upset about Ruby, he didn’t want to go to school. Betsy kind of panicked and said ‘I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you four hundred dollars if you go to school.’

That was part of how we came up with the $400. He only got half [of the $400] so it seemed nice to have [the Kindness Challenge winner awarded] $200 for charity and $200 to pocket.”

Campbell made the Kindness Challenge to commemorate Hart in a positive way. He urges high school students to participate so the challenge can fulfill its promise to showcase and spread kindness at school.

“I hope people participate,” Campbell said. “I really hope it is full of people writing notes of kind acts and then I get to come back in May and award someone.”

Campbell hopes that this challenge does not just encourage kindness in high school, but through entire lifetimes.

Kindness, for Campbell, is a necessary part of life for anyone, despite the negative actions of others.

“As a family, we really valued kindness,” Campbell said. “It’s such a great way to go through life. There are always going to be challenges and there are always going to be people who are going to treat you poorly, but the more acts of kindness you put into the world, the more you counteract that.”

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WALL SHOW III October 28, 2019 – January 6, 2020

Created by students in grades 7-12

good people

An Experience of a

Lifetime Joe Sola, Campbell Hall Gallery Director and Video Production/Film History teacher, was awarded the prestigious Henry Clews Award from the La Napoule Art Foundation this past fall. The foundation bestows this honor every two years to only five distinguished American artists. Joe was selected to participate in the program by renowned artist Will Cotton who was familiar with his work from the Blackston Gallery in New York where Joe’s art was represented for more than ten years. The goal of the intensive, month-long residency is to create a space and structure for artists to work and to reflect on their own processes.

variety of mediums, I’m delving into what it means to own your own image as it is circulated on the internet and social media.”

This has led to a burst of creativity which Joe will be unveiling soon.

Set in the idyllic, fully restored 14th-century Château de La Napoule in the French Riviera, the program afforded Joe the opportunity to completely immerse himself in his art while absorbing the rich culture of France. Each day was an openended journey. Breakfast and dinner with his fellow artists in residence bookended his day and provided him the chance to engage in what were at times deep conversations and other times, quiet companionship. The rest of Joe’s day was spent in his private studio in the Château, contemplating and working.

His experience abroad translated into a wonderful example for Joe’s students. Not only was he living out an artist’s dream, he was, as Joe told his students, “given an award to answer questions and solve problems I have put to myself.

Campbell Hall helps promote this kind of critical thought and investigation.”

Joe had some very specific themes he wanted to explore when he set off for the program. Namely, he was interested in continuing to conceptualize and draw for his upcoming January exhibition at Honor Fraser Gallery in Los Angeles.

“This opportunity was so incredible because I had a very rigid structure set up that allowed me to intently focus on the ideas I had brought with me to the experience,” Joe said. “Through a 22 campbell hall magazine I WINTER 2020

Joe is extremely grateful for this experience which opened up so many artistic channels. “It started to move my thinking about cinema — to see social media as a cinematic structure,” he said. “Stories don’t just exist on the screen. They are spilling across social media platforms and are changing the way we think about narratives.”

Joe’s multimedia works have been exhibited at museums and galleries nationally and internationally including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Hammer Museum, J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, MOT International in London, and Tif Sigfrids Gallery to name a few.

Joe Sola’s exhibition at the Honor Fraser Gallery in Los Angeles will run from January 11 — March 7, 2020.

Catherine Singer’s Press Pause was recently released on Audible.com.

Resilience: Why Mindfulness Proves Essential in Schools

BY C AT H E R IN E SIN GER , HIGH S CHOOL ENGLIS H T EA CH ER + MI NDFULNES S EDUCATOR

Each year, students report high levels of stress. Studies support that students are increasingly anxious, often citing technology addiction and social media as contributing factors. Underlying these factors, however, is an even more fundamental problem: a lack of resilience. Teens want to overcome adversity but often don’t know how to go about doing so. For some, this skill set comes naturally; for others, like myself, it comes through effort, and can be cultivated by developing a mindfulness practice.

In 2015, researchers in India proved that mindfulness fosters psychological resilience. While this finding might be surprising to some, for meditators, it likely won’t. Let’s consider a basic definition of mindfulness from Jon Kabat-Zinn, best known for creating the Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction program (MBSR). He describes mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” This notion that we can tether ourselves to the present moment, rather than the past or future, and do so without judgment, proves both simple and radical; without judgment, we remove blame, shame, and criticism, opening the door for self-compassion. With this definition in mind, these scientific findings make sense. That same year, Greater Good Magazine, the magazine for UC Berkeley’s The Greater Good Science Center, republished an article with these findings. It ended with a plea for schools to create mandatory mindfulness courses, so students learn resilience.

Campbell Hall has always been innovative in its programming, and thanks to the efforts of Julian Bull and Sarah Huss, mindfulness has been part of our culture since 2007. Teachers, such as Mónica Ley, were forerunners by including meditation in the classroom. Later, more formal student offerings were added; I began to lead a weekly faculty sitting group and a parent mindfulness group soon followed. In Fall 2015, I created the curriculum for The Science of Mindfulness: a semesterlong experiential deep dive into mindfulness. At the time, it was the only Cal State and University of California approved high school elective devoted to mindfulness. Since then, various schools have followed suit, and every year, the Campbell Hall course evolves to better meet the needs of our students. We were ahead of the curve, and Campbell Hall continues to be on the cutting edge of Human Development, with Mindfulness in particular.

Halfway through each semester, I ask students how, if at all, the course impacts their lives. The feedback is unanimously

positive. This fall, after only two months, students proved, yet again, that mindfulness develops resilience.

A sophomore explained: “I used to not deal with stress well and found it took a toll on my life and happiness. I have learned to deal with stress more easily, and I am much happier now because of the mindfulness tools I have learned.” A junior reported: “I have learned how to channel my stress and deal with it in a way I would have never been able to do. I love being in this class because I feel calmer, and happier.” A senior described: “This class has impacted my life by influencing my regular habits to be more mindful and efficient. It has also taught me that many of my body’s unconscious reactions to things like stress and fear can easily be controlled through fairly approachable methods.”

Three of my favorite mindfulness tools to teach in this course are easy to implement. The first one is to take a daily activity you do already and do it with complete awareness. You might decide that every time you open the car door, you’ll do so mindfully. Since you do this activity anyway, it’s an easy way to infuse mindfulness into your routine. A second practice is to label emotions and thoughts when you notice them. This silent practice reinforces the idea that by identifying a “Worry,” or a “Fear,” you lessen its power over you. The third tool is particularly useful when you feel anxious: root down into your feet, leaving the stories in your head to focus on the present sensations in your body.

Mindfulness promotes resilience by guiding us to a place of presence and acceptance. Jon Kabat-Zinn describes resilience through the lens of mindfulness: “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” As adults, we know waves will come.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if children, teens, and adults were ready when they did? Then, instead of treading water, we could rise to meet every challenge as it comes, just as we are. We’ll definitely get wet, but we’ll know how to get back up.

The Good I WINTER 2020 23

good people

Inspiring Students to be the Change One Lion at a Time

BY KATH ERI NE B. ’20

The high school Passion for Change Club Passion for Change Club hosted representatives from Ewaso Lions, a nonprofit Kenyan-based conservation group that is working to save lions, a species nearing extinction. These conservationists, along with two women from the semi-nomadic Samburu tribe who are part of the Ewaso Lions’ conservation advocacy program known as Mama Simba, gave a moving presentation to students and faculty about the perils facing lions today. The group came to the U.S. to educate change-makers about the human-wildlife conflict, which is the greatest cause of lions' population decrease.

How did you become involved with the Ewaso Lions group?

My grandmother has involved me in conservation efforts by making donations in my name and teaching me the importance of conservation since I was a little girl. She wanted to bring me to her favorite place in the world, so during the summer of 2018 my grandparents, my parents, and I traveled to Kenya and Tanzania for three weeks. We spent our time at camps and on safari with conservation organizations, one of which was Ewaso Lions. We met with the founder, Shivani Bhalla, and spent a day in the village Ewaso Lions works most closely with where we met the Mama Simbas including

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Mparasoroi and Munteli. Ever since we learned about the efforts of Ewaso Lions and made these personal connections, my family wanted to do more than just donate to help their cause.

Why lions?

Lions are only one species of African Wildlife that are facing extreme threats of extinction. However, many people don't even know that lions are endangered, let alone that there are fewer lions in the world than rhinos (it is much more common that people are aware of rhinos being close to extinction than lions). Lions are not only a big part of our world and culture (we even have lions in our Campbell Hall crest!), but they are essential to maintaining balance in wild ecosystems. Because Ewaso Lions had already planned a trip to San Francisco for the Wildlife Conservation Network Conference, my family decided to reach out and invite them to Los Angeles on their way so that we could hold four events (two of which were at Campbell Hall) for them in order to spread awareness in our local communities and help them fundraise. Overall, wildlife has always been incredibly important to me, and so I want to help the efforts that are hard at work trying to save the lions.

“I hope that Campbell Hall students believe that they can always make a difference....”

—Katherine B. ’20

What change do you hope to inspire?

Bringing awareness of the Ewaso Lions to Campbell Hall was meant to have multiple impacts. I wanted to provide Campbell Hall students and faculty with an opportunity to learn from people directly involved in an issue so that there would be a greater sense of urgency in our community towards issues like lions on the verge of extinction. I also wanted to involve Passion for Change, a club I co-founded last year with Lily S. ’20. Overall, I wanted to change the mentality of people from thinking that you have to be an adult to make a huge difference, to thinking that it is possible for one kid to have an idea and work together with a community to spread awareness and fundraise -- that even if it seems like an effort is too minor to matter, it makes a greater impact on people in a community than one might think. I hope that Campbell Hall students believe that they can always make a difference and that by spreading awareness, our generation now and in the future will be dedicated to saving not only the lions, but all other endangered species and our planet as a whole.

For more information visit ewasolions.com.

The Good I WINTER 2020 25

good people

Cell-fie!

Professional Development Opportunity Takes it to the Molecular Level

BY D R . M E LIS SA N O EL , HIGH S C HOOL S CIENC E T EA CH ER + DR. LETI CI A SANCH EZ , H I GH SCH OOL SCI ENCE TEACH ER

High School science teachers Dr. Melissa Noel and Dr. Leticia Sanchez attended the Molecular Biology Summer Workshop, hosted by New England Biolabs and Smith College. The course took place at Smith College in Northampton, MA from July 21 through August 3, 2019.

What did you learn?

This two-week long course covered in-depth DNA cloning, gene expression analysis, DNA sequencing (including NextGen and RNA-seq), genomics, bioinformatics, CRISPR/Cas9, RNA interference, PCR and quantitative PCR, protein expression systems and proteomics. We learned the theory behind the techniques and also got to work hands-on in the lab. We were two of 7 teachers (including one from Phillips Exeter Academy), along with college professors, medical and veterinary doctors, scientists, postdocs, and graduate students. The wide array of backgrounds certainly made the experience richer.

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Dr. Noel

Dr. Sanchez

“ We are excited to begin work on these courses and provide the students with the latest cutting edge techniques that are being used in academic and industry labs. We are hoping these experiences will enrich our students’ science experience and motivate them to pursue careers in research.”

How will you apply the training to your work in the classroom?

Why is it important for teachers to engage in professional development?

Dr. Noel: Some of the labs and techniques have already been incorporated into next year’s CHAI Biology roll out. We will be incorporating some of the techniques we learned into our 9th grade Biology Honors course but we’re also planning on writing advanced courses for the upperclassmen that may run next year or the following, depending on how the approval process goes.

In this upper level elective course we are hoping to start with a semester in which we both cover the most basic topics about molecular biology and genetic engineering. In the second semester, we would each teach a section that would apply the techniques but from different perspectives. Since my Ph.D. is in neurobiology, I would present the information and frame the experiments from that standpoint. Dr. Sanchez’s doctorate is in evolutionary biology, and she would like to focus her course on microbiology applications. We are excited to begin work on these courses and provide the students with the latest cutting edge techniques that are being used in academic and industry labs.

We are hoping these experiences will enrich our students’ science experience and motivate them to pursue careers in research.

Dr. Noel: It is so important to participate in professional development in order to continue growing. Every year that I’ve been at Campbell Hall, I’ve managed to participate in some form of professional development that has resulted in direct changes in how I teach my classes. I’ve been to the National Science Teachers Association conference where I learned about the latest research in science education. I’ve also participated in the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE), which is how we first started incorporating molecular biology labs into the 9th grade curriculum. I also participated in a workshop on POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) which taught us how to manage students while they work in small teams to solve an inquiry-based problem. I am so thankful that Campbell Hall is an organization that values Professional Development and supports the teachers that seek to engage in that work.

Dr. Sanchez: I have done all of the same Professional Development activities with Dr. Noel. Technology is always changing and it is so important to continue engaging in Professional Development in our area of expertise so that we can keep our biology courses current and relevant to students.

The Good I WINTER 2020 27

good people

NEIGHBORHOOD

ACTIVISM

n September, five Campbell Hall students along with CH Civic Liaison Katie Bull attended the annual Congress of Neighborhoods. This is the Neighborhood Council system’s biggest event which brings together over 1,000 local leaders at LA City Hall for a day of workshops and networking with City officials and other Neighborhood Council members.

Bryce L. ’20 attended in his capacity as Neighborhood Council representative and was joined by classmates Sabrina C. ’20, Cally C. ’20, Angelina P. ’20, and Amelia P. ’20. As some of the youngest attendees, the students had the opportunity to meet grassroots leaders and, through a variety of sessions, learn firsthand about how our local government is tackling the issues of our day.

The day opened with keynote speaker Mayor Garcetti who discussed plans to roll out the LA Green New Deal, which, as Angelina P. ’20 explains, “...is a separate plan from the proposed national Green New Deal. The Mayor wants to make sure that LA’s path to sustainability continues after he leaves office which gives me hope for the future of Los Angeles.”

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One session attended by the students, “Moving From Conflict to Collaboration” led by speaker Emily Williams, discussed ways in which participants could implement strategies and coping mechanisms to deal with people who might be considered difficult. Amelia P. ’20 recounts, “The speaker told us about different types of people and shared insight about why they may be acting difficult. She explained scenarios and worked through them as we yelled out responses. It was truly impactful.” This approach to working with a wide array of people is not only helpful for enacting legislation but also for working through any obstacles.

Katie Bull was excited to see so many CH students in attendance. “We need young people to be civically engaged to make some of the biggest changes that are needed both locally and globally. They are truly on the path to making a difference in the world.”

To learn more about getting involved in the local community, please contact CH Civic Liaison Katie Bull, MSW at bullk@campbellhall.org.

A Rights-Based Approach to Sex Education High School Assistant Principal Publishes Scholarly Book

High School Assistant Principal Tiffani Kocsis, Ed.D recently published A Critical Analysis of Sexuality Education in the United States, an insightful book that examines the ways in which mainstream curricula fails to equip students with the knowledge and understanding they need to be empowered about their sexuality. We caught up with Dr. Kocsis who advocates an inclusive, rights-based approach to education.

How did sexuality education become a focus of interest for you?

When I started teaching health classes about fifteen years ago, it struck me not only how little adolescents knew about their bodies, but also how few resources they had to openly explore topics of sexuality, gender, identity, and intimacy.

It became a regular occurrence to have students in my office at lunch, breaks, before and after school asking questions they didn’t know how to get answers to - the shame, confusion, and nerves were disheartening. When I’d offer the opportunity for open discussions, they would take off in a way I hadn’t ever seen in students. It was clear they were really thinking about themselves in new ways and trying to make sense of new experiences and rising questions. I started looking into program design, available curricula and teacher prep programs and realized the landscape was lacking. There are offerings out there but many are reduced to reproduction facts or avoid topics around identity, sexuality, gender dynamics, and navigating intimate relationships. Many are sex-negative, pretend that teen sexuality doesn’t exist or seek to deliver to teens a set of predetermined moral constructs.

Pre-scripted programs (those developed for wide release with specific lesson plans) don’t really offer the responsiveness needed for each unique community. I just found it so interesting that all the “-ologies” (Biology, Psychology, Sociology…) talk about how natural and normal adolescent sexuality is, but you travel into the world of education and it often becomes at best ignored or at worst damaged well into adulthood.

Have you been able to bring research to bear on CH policy and/or culture?

Not in any true programmatic or curricular ways, but I always think about it when we’re talking about advisory or when I teach reproduction in my 9th grade general biology class. It’s also been useful background knowledge for me as we continue to evaluate policies in the high school that touch on these topics.

Tell us about the importance of this topic for today’s teenager.

Today’s teenager is inundated with information – friends, family, social media, school, entertainment – with no training on how to navigate through it. Research shows that kids are flocking to the internet to find answers to questions about all aspects of their sexuality, especially students who aren’t aligned with the heteronormative experience. I feel strongly that we need to find ways to elevate the importance of adolescent sexuality as a core tenet of their healthy development. Gender identity, sexual identity, sexual preference, race, economics, love, health, communication, law, religion, social structures – they all intertwine as students develop an understanding of their personhood and how they interact with the world around them. There is a big misconception that comprehensive programming in the area of sexuality education focuses on body parts and pregnancy prevention.

Certainly, that’s a small part of it, but great programs grounded in the rights of teenagers to be physically and emotionally healthy are so much more.

The Good I WINTER 2020 29

good people

Inspiring Friendships Fifth Grade + Shane’s Inspiration The third annual Shane’s Inspiration playdate at Rocket’s Universe with CH fifth grade students and students from Coldwater Elementary and College View was a huge success. Students were paired with “buddies” and connected through play for a day of discovery and fun. Shane’s Inspiration programs work to eliminate bias against children with disabilities and have directly served over 40,000 children in over 150 schools.

CH parents, Mia and Taylor ’92 W. (Finch ’22 and Evie ’26) introduced Campbell Hall to this amazing organization. Rocket’s Universe, a playground at North Weddington Park where kids of all abilities can engage in play together, was constructed in honor of their beloved son, Rocket. We are thankful for opportunities like these that bring students together from different schools, inspiring friendship and kindness.

Harlow P. ’27 said, “I liked being able to play with my buddy.

She loved working with playdough, not to make any structure, but just feeling the texture on her hands.”

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“We had so much fun playing with our new friends,” said Beckett B. ’27. “Some kids were shy at first but then we were running around and having a great time!”

Project Giving Kids Create the Change Day LA

BY B RAN DY C UR R Y E L E ME N TARY SC HO O L DA NC E TE A C HE R

Finding ways to give back to the community is at the heart of Campbell Hall’s mission and is a part of every student’s experience from Kindergarten through 12th grade. What is most heartwarming is when students from across grade and division levels work together to make a difference and create greater impact.

Recently, Campbell Hall elementary school Girl Scouts joined high school student Zoe S. ’21 (Project Giving Kids Student Captain) at the Project Giving Kids-Create the Change Day LA event on October 20 at Loyola Marymount University. Project Giving Kids (PGK) is a national organization that partners with other nonprofits to connect kids with youth-friendly volunteer projects through an easy-to-use app. Their yearly “Create the Change Day” promotes volunteerism by engaging youths and families with hands-on activities all geared to helping others and inspiring compassion, philanthropy, and autonomy.

Prior to the event, our secondary school Green Team and elementary school Girl Scouts held a drive and collected over 2,000 toiletry items for LA Family Housing, one of the recipients of “Create the Change Day.” Our youngest Girl Scouts attended their first “Create the Change Day LA” and made a huge impact: they helped pack over 325 toiletry kits for LA Family Housing; drew over 175 Veterans Day cards for Remember Our Veterans; assembled 70 activity boxes for pediatric patients at UCLA Medical and Cedars Sinai for The Jared Project; made 115 dog toys for Karma Rescue; packed

2,000 toiletry items collected for LA Family Housing

325

toiletry kits assembled for LA Family Housing

175

Veterans Day cards created for Remember Our Veterans

70

activity boxes assembled for pediatric patients at UCLA Medical and Cedars Sinai for The Jared Project

115

dog toys made for Karma Rescue

125

backpacks packed full of school supplies for homeless youth and crayon supplies for Color Kindness Project

100

125 backpacks full of school supplies for homeless youth and crayon supplies for Color Kindness Project; and created more than 100 handmade “Welcome Home” kits for the St. Joseph Center.

PGK Founder Molly Yuska said: “We have come to understand ever more clearly through this work over the past few years that when young people come together in service (“Create the Change Day”), it benefits not only their personal development but also the nonprofits with which they engage and the community at large.”

The Girl Scouts received fun passport booklets stamped with more than 20 service organizations they worked with that day. Through this kind of exposure to so many wonderful nonprofit organizations, elementary school Girls Scouts have been instrumental in helping to select Outreach Gift Fair projects for their classes and have also helped bring some Big Sunday projects to campus.

Campbell Hall students are constantly finding new and meaningful ways to engage with the community. Through service learning and volunteerism, students begin to blossom and find their own journey filled with lifelong curiosity and drive for change, global impact, and philanthropy. It is in pursuit of our Campbell Hall mission that our students cultivate empathy and set out to do GOOD in our world!

handmade “Welcome Home” kits created for St. Joseph Center The Good I WINTER 2020 31

Giving for Good CH Annual Ingathering for Hillsides For decades, Campbell Hall has had a special relationship with Hillsides, a nonprofit organization in Pasadena dedicated to healing at-risk children and young adults and strengthening families by providing a range of innovative services. Since the early 1980s, Campbell Hall has held a yearly ingathering in each division’s chapel where students are encouraged to bring unwrapped gifts to provide holiday cheer to children who live in this therapeutic group home.

During each successive chapel the pile of gifts grows exponentially. Campbell Hall’s annual drive is so successful and the gifts are so plentiful that they are able to be used not just to brighten the holidays, but can be distributed throughout the year for birthdays too! This year’s ingathering was no different with mountains of presents that showcased CH’s generosity of spirit. This meaningful contribution from each family is deeply appreciated by the Hillsides community–a place where children’s lives are changed for the better.

Vivienne F. ’23

Ella F. ’21

Maxime G. ’20

9-12 STUDENT ARTWORK

Olivia L. ’20

Prerna C. ’20

Milo S. ’22

Gehna C. ’21

Austin J. ’22

Toby L. ’22

Eugene S. ’20

PHOTOGRAPHY

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good times

HOMECOMING FOOTBALL + CARNIVAL Saturday, October 5, 2019

Over 2,400 Vikings, including students, parents, alumni, and friends, enjoyed a day of football, carnival rides and games, food trucks, Alumni Association-sponsored High Striker game, and bingo hosted by the Grandparents’ Committee. Campbell Hall Varsity Football secured a huge 38-0 victory vs. Vasquez and alumni participated in a friendly ag football game.

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HALLOWEEN PARADE Thursday, October 31, 2019

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13-YEAR STUDENTS VISIT KINDERGARTEN Tuesday, November 19, 2019 13-year students visit their former kindergarten classrooms to introduce themselves to the youngest members of the CH community. The kindergarten students then head up the hill hand-in-hand with the seniors to visit the exclusive Senior Patio and get a preview of their future at Campbell Hall.

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good times

GOLF & TENNIS CLASSIC Monday, November 4, 2019 Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Golf & Tennis Classic at MountainGate Country Club. Golf Co-Chair Peter Yu and Tennis Co-Chairs, Clinton Wade and Elizabeth Wright, planned a fun-filled day for our school community. Tennis legend Pam Shriver gave tennis players tips and techniques to help perfect the game. Proceeds from this event benefitted the Campbell Hall Annual Fund.

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good times A New Perspective

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION TRIPS JOSHUA TREE As part of the 10th grade experiential education trip to Joshua Tree, students rotated through community service opportunities that were coordinated through and run by Mojave Desert Land Trust.

Projects included trash removal, invasive plant removal, seedling identiďŹ cation, and plant measurement.

MOAB For more than 10 years, 11th grade Campbell Hall students have engaged in service projects for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) while on their experiential education trips in Moab. This year the students went to three different sites on each of the three days. They cleared many sites for a campground, created an extensive bike trail, and worked at the BLM nursery for native plants which are used to reintroduce native plants to areas where invasive plants have been removed. The students are proud of their service as they know it makes a difference for future visitors to the Moab area.

Photo credit: Sabrina Pozzi

Photo credit: Sabrina Pozzi

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Photo credit: Sabrina Pozzi

good times

Celebrating Culture + Community

HERITAGE FAMILIES Established in 1996, The Heritage Families, an affinity family organization that connects African American/Black families across grade levels, held their annual kick-off to welcome new and returning families. Students from kindergarten to 12th grade played icebreaker activities and enjoyed exciting games.

Every-one delighted in an afternoon of food, community, and fun.

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Celebrating Culture + Community

LA FAMILIA

Founded in 2009, La Familia, Campbell Hall’s K-12 organization for Latino/Hispanic families, hosted their annual welcome event in September on the elementary school patio. This wonderful event honoring the members’ Latin culture featured dancers from Ballet Coco, as well as delicious catering from The Ricans Food. The festivities also included arts and crafts, face painting for the children, a photo op backdrop for families, a DJ which played a variety of Latin music favorites, and some wonderful conversation.

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Celebrating Culture + Community

KOREAN PARENT ASSOCIATION

The Korean Parent Association (KPA) was established in 2014 and this September they hosted their ďŹ rst welcome event on campus.

The outdoor luncheon was an opportunity to engage with Korean families who were new to Campbell Hall as well as meet faculty and administrators in attendance. The event included a game coordinator who organized activities for the children and a delicious meal was provided by the KPA volunteers. The KPA looks forward to hosting another event on campus this spring.

If you are interested in joining any of the affinity family organizations, please email Stephanie Carrillo, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at carrils@campbellhall.org.

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GRANDPARENTS’ + GRANDFRIENDS’ DAY — 7TH GRADE Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Grandparents and grandfriends gathered for a special day at Campbell Hall to experience 7th grade school life. They were treated to middle school performances that included choir, dance, jazz, and world drumming followed by lunch with their grandchild(ren). They later joined the 7th grade students in their advisor groups.

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CH GRANDPARENT ESCAPE ROOM ADVENTURE Friday, December 20, 2019

Campbell Hall planned a fun adventure for CH grandparents and their K-12th grade grandchildren at a dog-themed escape room. Students enjoyed themselves on their first day of winter break as they bonded with their grandparents and solved various puzzles and found hidden clues to “escape” the familyfriendly room.

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CAMPBELL HALL A L U M N I C O U R T YA R D

e v a Le

! k ar m r ou y

For more than 75 years, Campbell Hall families have been integral in shaping the school’s history, helping to form the community and traditions that make us so special. The Alumni Courtyard is dedicated to Alumni and their families, all of whom helped pave the way for the CH students of today and tomorrow.

Leave your mark on Campbell Hall by purchasing a courtyard stone.

Proceeds from the Alumni Courtyard directly beneďŹ t the

Alumni Legacy Scholarship, providing Financial Aid to children of alumni whose families might not otherwise be able to afford a Campbell Hall education.

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For more information, visit campbellhall.org/alumnicourtyard campbell hall magazine I WINTER or 2020 contact Aubrey Rakoski at 818.505.5385 or rakoska@campbellhall.org.

THE CAMPBELL HALL ANNUAL FUND THINK OF ALL THE

At Campbell Hall, we recognize that each student is full of possibilities.

This is why the Campbell Hall Annual Fund is so important! As with all independent schools, tuition alone does not cover the costs of running the school. The CH Fund makes up a critical portion of the school’s operating budget and helps ensure that each student has everything needed to IMAGINE,

EXPLORE , and ACHIEVE their full

potential.

A Campbell Hall education is not just about who your child is; it also about who they will become...because we know

their possibilities are endless.

Thank you to those who have already made their CH Fund gift. To make your gift today, please visit campbellhall.org/donate or for assistance, please contact Marcia Campbell, Annual Giving Manager, at 818.505.2430 or campbem@campbellhall.org.

student accomplishments

A CUT ABOVE

CH Student Carves a Path in Politics and Fencing Bryce L. ’20

is energetic, smart, and fun-loving.

He is a natural performer, as evidenced by his dancing during Spirit Chapel the past two years where his slick moves garnered wild cheers from the audience. Some of his friends might even consider him to be a jokester.

A couple of things you might not guess about him Bryce is the youngest elected official in Los Angeles and the winner of the 2019 Junior Olympics gold medal in cadet men’s foil.

Bryce was just 16 when he was elected as the youth representative for the Historic Cultural North Neighborhood Council, which represents Chinatown, El Pueblo, Solano Canyon, and Victor Heights. He also garnered enough support from fellow council members to be voted as Vice Chair of the Council. Bryce was inspired to enter politics by watching how his uncle, Supervisor and former State Senator, Mark RidleyThomas, connected with his constituents as well as seeing him effect positive change in the community.

Bryce, who is of Chinese and Filipino descent, says, “It was important for me to have a voice in government and to represent those in my community.” Bryce brings this same level of commitment to Campbell Hall. As part of the Student Council, he discusses senior class issues and ways to benefit the Campbell Hall community.

In addition to his ventures in government, Bryce has been fencing since he was eight years old, working hard to maintain a balance among practice, tournaments, and schoolwork. While he has been extremely successful in his chosen sport, not everything has come easily to Bryce. Leading up to the Junior Olympics, he encountered a series of losses, slipping down the ranks in his matches in Rome, Lenzo, and Barcelona, in one case losing a match by only one touch. Feeling that he

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The biggest lesson, he says, was “turning those bad experiences into something positive and being resilient, because how you lose determines how you will be in the long run.”

Bryce with CH Director of Athletics Juan Velazquez in the 2014-15 school year.

was letting his parents down and guilt-ridden about how much his parents had invested in his pursuit of his dream, he called his mom to apologize. She reassured him that the family didn’t care about wins or losses — they only cared that he loved the sport.

Bolstered by his mom’s words and reminded about his passion for the sport, Bryce went into the Junior Olympics in Denver with renewed focus and determination. He was quickly brought low again during the warmups. “I was out of breath two bouts in,” Bryce said. And then it occurred to him, “the altitude was affecting me.” His coach, however, would not let him self-defeat.

“Today is your day,” he told Bryce. He was right. Bryce won the gold medal in the Cadet Junior Olympic Championship.

Bryce describes fencing as “physical chess.” It’s not about who’s faster or stronger, it’s about thinking one step ahead of your opponent. According to Bryce, “the winner is whoever leaves their heart on the strip.” He is able to appreciate his success so much more because of the losses that led up to his victory. The biggest lesson, he says, was “turning those bad experiences into something positive and being resilient, because how you lose determines how you will be in the long run.”

Bryce attributes some of his success to the Campbell Hall community. “My Campbell Hall friends are so supportive. When I was upset because I didn’t make the US World team, they rallied around me and lifted my spirits,” he says. “My teachers have been so amazing because they worked with me over the years to give me one-on-one support when I had to miss classes or tests due to my extensive traveling. The high school teachers at Campbell Hall have shaped who I am today and inspire me to be the best version of myself. They believe in me. Coach Velazquez has often come to the tournaments to cheer me on.”

Bryce will be attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 2020. We wish him continued success in all his endeavors.

The Good I WINTER 2020 49

We Did Not Sink!

BY AVA M. ’21 AND TALI A T. ’ 2 1

Engineering Students Build Raft for Moab Trip We did not sink. Our assignment was to build a whitewater raft, and when the project was first proposed, we weren’t even sure putting a person on the raft would be an option, much less taking it to Moab and using it on the Colorado River. Mr. Williams, our engineering teacher, introduced the idea on our first day of Engineering Principles class and we immediately started brainstorming — sketching ideas and coming up with a prototype. By the second week, we were building. We were given 10 meters of hypalon rubber fabric and a compatible adhesive; the only knowledge we had was what we could find on the internet and our teacher’s helpful guidance.

Initially, we tested various building techniques on a small scale and failed more than we succeeded, but each time, we learned something.

boat, the class was so relieved. Just to see it finished and blown up was more rewarding than we would have ever thought. We took our creation with us on the Junior Class Experiential Education trip to Moab so we could test it on the real whitewaters of the Colorado River. By the time we finished inflating and securing the raft, we all were nervous that the boat would sink and all our hard work would disappear before our eyes. By that time, we had invested almost 200 hours in completing this raft. Almost the entire 11th grade class was crowded around to see if the boat would float, which made it especially stressful.

When we finally put the boat (and two classmates) in the water, we all celebrated. It floated beautifully! On our river day with about 40 of our peers in professional white water rafts, our own boat handled the rapids beautifully. We were able to turn on a dime as well as paddle quickly away from the other rafts during a splash battle. Our boat lasted the whole nine miles without a hitch.

Overall, it was the highlight of Moab. Our engineering class will forever be connected and proud of the tradition we had started.

The raft was such a great bonding and rewarding experience and we hope students in the years to come will continue our legacy on the Colorado River!

Initially, we tested various building techniques on a small scale and failed more than we succeeded, but each time, we learned something.

The raft was our priority for seven weeks straight; we worked on it every class, and many students even came in during free time they had during the day. Our biggest concern was that this raft was glued by a group of high school students without any experience. When the raft was complete, we weren’t surprised to find out that we had a handful of leaks. We solved this problem by cutting the rubber material that we had left over into little patches, then gluing them to the parts of the boat where there were holes. By the time we had finally finished our

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Photo credit for Moab images: Julie Thoma

student accomplishments

The Good I WINTER 2020 51

student accomplishments

Kudos!

A Crowning Moment for The Piper Congratulations to The Piper, Campbell Hall’s student-run newspaper, for winning a coveted Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). 1,145 school papers were submitted and this year only 25 print newspapers received a Crown Award. This is the second year in a row The Piper has received the CSPA Crown Finalist award. The award is for the 2018-19 newspaper issues and the editor was Stella Frank ’19, now a student at the University of Wisconsin.

Speech & Debate High School After a great showing at the prestigious Bronx Science Speech and Debate tournament, Francesca L. ’20 and Avalon D. ’20 (above) earned the #1 ranking in the U.S. for Speech and Debate Public Forum Team. This is the second time the girls have been ranked #1 in Public Forum. Speech and Debate Coach Susan Foley has led the successful Speech and Debate Program at Campbell Hall for seven years and continues to nurture nationally-competitive students.

Liana S. ’21 debated at the prestigious European Open in Hamburg, Germany, over Thanksgiving with the USA Debate Team and reached the championships round against Team China. Liana additionally received a 3rd place individual speaker award at this tournament.

Middle School

The Crown Awards honor top student publications chosen from CSPA's members. Crowns are selected for overall excellence in a head-to-head comparison, judged on their excellence as shown by their design, photography, concept, coverage, and writing.

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The Speech and Debate Team won the Windward Invitational both with the highest percentage wins and most wins overall.

Campbell Hall’s individual teams placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th overall!

1st place: Dylan J. ’25, Alexander E. ’24, Daniel D. ’24 2nd place: Cole M. ’24, Travis P. ’22, David K. ’25 3rd place: Michael S. ’25, David D. ’25 5th place: Weston K. ’25, Lauryn V. ’25, Charlie K. ’25

Advanced Photography Student Recognized in The NY Times Photo Contest Out of more than 2,200 submissions, Advanced Photography student Abby Z. ’20 was chosen as one of only 14 honorable mentions in The New York Times Second Annual Student Photo Contest. The New York Times asked students to photograph aspects of teenage life that push back against stereotypes in order to create a more complete picture of Generation Z. Abby’s photo of her friend Jacqueline (above) right before they head to prom, is an examination of the pressure women face to be aesthetically perfect. In her artist’s statement, Abby writes, “As a seventeen-year-old girl, I am surrounded by hypersexualized advertisements of women and beauty standards throughout my Instagram feed. The moment I get trapped in my reflection either in a mirror or my phone screen, I am confronted with an abundance of unrealistic expectations and pressures from society.” Abby concludes, “It is easy to say the women in my generation are ‘mirror obsessed,’ but in reality, we have been victims of scrutiny and persisting internalized misogyny.”

Congratulations to Abby for her nationally recognized, thought-provoking photo and artist’s statement!

The Good I WINTER 2020 53

good sports

Fall Season Athletic Highlights

BY S H AU N A J O H N SO N , ATHLET IC COMMU N ICAT ION S COORDI NATOR

Varsity Football

Varsity Girls’ Tennis

1st Team All-Gold Coast League Nate Aszkenazy ’20 Jacory Dallas ’22

Gold Coast League Champions

2nd Team All-Gold Coast League Landon Richardson ’20 Malik Ware ’21

Varsity Girls’ Volleyball 1st Team All-Gold Coast League Tess Riordan ’21 2nd Team All-Gold Coast League Alejandra Velazquez ’20

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★ Open Division Playoffs

Gold Coast League Singles MVP; Gold Coast League Singles Champion Tsehay Driscoll ’23 Driscoll played teammate Devyn Marinos ’21 in the final.

Driscoll was recently named to the Daily News All-Area team.

She also earned Daily News Girls Athlete of the Week during the season.

HIGH SCHOOL

Gold Coast League Doubles finalists: Alyssa Bojenkova ’22 Emily Redwood ’23 1st Team All-Gold Coast League Singles Devyn Marinos ’21 Katrina Vayser ’23 Doubles Alyssa Bojenkova ’22 Emily Redwood ’23

Varsity Cross Country Won the Santa Clarita Invitational Boys JV team race.

Ethan Edelstein ’23 1st Place in his race

Varsity Girls’ Golf First ever Girls’ Golf team to compete for Campbell Hall.

Went 6-1 in the Vikings first year.

The Good I WINTER 2020 55

good sports

MIDDLE SCHOOL

BY J E N N IF E R P R I N C E , AS S IS TANT AT HLETIC DIR ECTOR

MS Girls’ Tennis Delphic League Champions MS Girls’ Tennis Individual Champion Addison M. ’24.

MS Girls’ Tennis Doubles Champions Grace R. ’25 and Madeline E. ’25 8th Grade Girls’ Volleyball Delphic League Sportsmanship Award

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League Recognition MS Flag Football Blue Edward D. ’25 Rio R. ’25

7th Grade Girls’ Volleyball Ava L.’25 MS Cross Country (Boys’) Reilly B. ’24

MS Flag Football Gold Oren W. ’24

MS Cross Country (Girls’) Mia S. ’24

8th Grade Girls’ Volleyball Mila M. ’24

MS Girls’ Tennis Addison M. ’24

of elementary students in grades 4-6 played on a CH sports team this fall.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The Good I WINTER 2020 57

featuring

Catacombs HS Theater Production “The Tempest” World Music Concert Popular Music Concert Jazz Concert Elementary After-School Winter Wonderland CH Dance Company Winter Concert “The Nutcracker” Winter Choral Concert Elementary School Christmas Program Technical Theater

good vibes

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good vibes

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good vibes

The Good I WINTER 2020 61

good vibes

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good vibes

The Good I WINTER 2020 63

alumni

Noah Benardout ’13

was a talented singersongwriter whose inspirational music focused on love; a theme so central to his music that, as an artist, he went by the name LOVR®. His soulful voice and magnetic stage presence appealed to audiences of all ages. Noah started performing when he was just six and at 24 years-old, he was on the verge of breakout success. He was about to be signed to a record label and his new EP Loners was completed the day he was killed by a DUI driver.

Devastated by the loss of their beloved Noah, the Benardout family found that the only way to cope was to channel their grief into action. “This was the most unthinkable, horrible thing to happen to us,” says Noah’s father, Marc Benardout. “Most people are understandably paralyzed by this kind of grief, but we had to do something about it. We worry about everyone’s kids now and want to find ways to prevent similar tragedies from happening.”

Started in September 2019, just one month after his death, the Noah Benardout Foundation is aimed at raising awareness and advocating for a nationwide movement to stop the senseless deaths and injuries caused by impaired driving. “There is a massive epidemic in California and in the nation,” Marc says. “Our DUI death rates are the worst in the world and these statistics are up 20% this year, due in part to the legalization of marijuana. These senseless tragedies are 100% preventable and that means we have to take responsibility and accountability to ensure that they end.”

Turning Grief into Action Raising DUI Awareness through the Noah Benardout Foundation

The Benardout family stresses that any kind of impaired driving is perilous and that there is really no safe limit for driving after the consumption of alcohol, edibles, or marijuana. Education on this front is critical and Noah’s sister, Lily ’20, along with a few of her classmates, started Club Noah at Campbell Hall to raise awareness on a peer-to-peer basis. With over 160 members, Club Noah has tremendous support from the student body and has already made an impact on the school. The club organized a speaker from MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) who spoke with the members about underage drinking and the risks of impaired driving.

As part of this effort, the Foundation has also started the S.A.D. program (Students Against DUI) to bring critical information and statistics of DUI to students and new drivers in California. Lily will be spearheading this project, visiting schools to talk with students who have experienced the loss of a family member from DUI and to deliver educational seminars. Lily’s first engagement was at the MADD Teen Influencer Summit on November 2, 2019 where she addressed a crowd of more than 175 participants.

The Foundation will be holding its first annual benefit concert on March 21, 2020 at the Hollywood Palladium. This star-studded evening of music and education will have special performances by some of today’s biggest artists and celebrity advocates plus Campbell Hall’s own Ryan B. ’20.

All attendees will be urged to commit to not drinking and driving. Tickets go on sale February 19 and current Campbell Hall students and alumni

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“I have lost my brother but I have not lost my voice,” Lily says.

“Previous generations have failed to protect mine, which leaves us only one option, to use the power of our youth and understanding of the problem and fix it for my peers and future sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers.” —Lily B.’20

receive 50% off the ticket price by entering the special code “CHSTUDENT” at checkout. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Drunk driving left another Campbell Hall family devastated. Hart Campbell ’23 and his sister Ruby, were killed by an intoxicated driver in June 2019. Their dad, Colin Campbell, joined forces with Marc Benardout this fall to address high school students in chapel. They shared their stories of loss, but also offered hope for the future. They emphasized that each student has the power to make the right choices—choices that can ultimately affect others.

We remember and honor these beautiful young people whose lives were cut too short by DUI, a 100% preventable crime. While the Benardout family is doing everything in their power to prevent future tragedies, ultimately it is the responsibility of every individual to make the lifesaving decision not to get behind the wheel after consuming intoxicants. There is no better way to commemorate their loss.

To learn more about how to support efforts to end DUI, to find out about the upcoming benefit concert, and to hear Noah’s music, please visit noahbenardoutfoundation.org.

Top Left + Bottom: Lily at a MAAD event. Right: (Top) Lily and Noah at the Gospel Concert in March 2019. (Middle) “Club Noah” members.

The Good I WINTER 2020 65

friends for good

A LU M N I E V E N T S

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1-2. Homecoming Football Game and Carnival - Alumni Flag Football Game on October 5 3. Class of 1983 held a 40-Year Junior High Reunion on November 16, 2019 at Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake, CA. Guests included Kim Andrews, Janine Allen (Ortgies), Jenny Baldwin (Bench), Stacey Brown (Natio), Dana Brownfield, Chimene Colley (Katz), David Damus, Kristin Elliott (Forwalter), David Garner, Mia Hanusek, Heidi Hildreth (Smith), Michele Karas (Fischer), Geoff Lomax, Sam Mamola, Greg Mariscal, Diane McDonald (Graef), Josh Pendley, Steve Plutte, Christy Reichhelm, Michael Urlik. 4. Annual CH Brunch Class of 1989 hosted on October 19, 2019 at the Thirsty Merchant in Valley Village, CA. Guests included Skye Jubert-Clark, Kristy Gabriel Liebig, Allison Elkman, Jean Karen Hallsman, Angela Grimaldi York, Ariel Ciudadano, Matt Atchity. 5-7. Over 100 alumni attended the Thanksgiving Meet-Up at Laurel Tavern on November 27.

friends for good

A LU M N I E V E N T S

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2

4

3

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1-10. Alumni Courtyard Ribbon Cutting Reception held on December 14, 2019: Nearly one hundred guests attended the ceremony including alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, and students.

The Good I WINTER 2020 67

ACHIEVEMENTS

A LU M N I

CLASS NOTES

Mckenzie Allyn ’14 was featured in

Toluca Lake Magazine for helping to transform the Los Angeles Department of Transportation utility boxes into urban art pieces.

Pamela Shamshiri ’89 of Studio

Kasey Blaustein ’01 launched Kasey

Shamshiri was featured in the September 2019 issue of Architectural Digest for her chalet chic design of Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman’s home.

Jones, Ink, a one-stop creative shop for artpowered experiences including custom photo backdrops, step-and-repeats, and murals. She employs several creative CH alumni on a freelance basis.

Emmy-winner Lizzie Kerner Fox ’03 was tapped to serve as senior vice president of non-fiction programming for HBOMax which will begin streaming content in the spring of 2020.

Peter McKeon ’90 directed all the

promos for The Very Brady Renovation. To promote this event, Peter & LA creative agency AV Squad created a 70s style “Red Shag Carpet” premiere for the HGTV talent and the original Brady cast.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU’RE UP TO! Email alumni@ campbellhall.org to include a class note in the next issue of The Good.

Aaron David Gleason ’97

teamed up with original David Bowie band member Mike Garson, to record a cover track of David Bowie’s “Rock N Roll With Me.”

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Ben Green ’16 and Josh Krakowsky ’15 were selected by Arsenal to be

featured in a new @adidaslondon campaign introducing the Arsenal away jersey. The campaign features Arsenal superfans around the world and asks what inspired their love of the team.

SAVE THE DATE // All-Alumni Reunion Saturday, May 30, 2020 Celebrating classes ending in ’0 and ’5

Taylor Crandall ’12 launched Global Lunchbox, a lunch delivery service which also educates children about cultures from around the world. A portion of the proceeds from each purchase supports Action Against Hunger, a nonprofit helping to end global malnutrition.

Gabrielle Baba-Conn ’18 and Henry Carr ’18 are featured in

More Beautiful for Having Been Broken, a film from parent of alumna Nicole Conn, and includes current CH student Levi S. ’24 and faculty member

Lauren Garroni ’06 along with coauthor Chelsea Fairless released a new book We Should All Be Mirandas, a satirical self-help book that offers a new twist on Sex and the City’s characters, suggesting that the successful career woman Miranda was the actual heroine of the series.

EJ Johnson ’10 was profiled in GQ magazine in an article titled “Voices of the New Masculinity” which examined how masculinity is morphing and modernizing, according to 18 influential people who are shaping our culture now.

Michael Lord ’85 composed

Megan Firestone ’04 was

the music theme and underscore for the suspenseful, high-stakes game show Spin The Wheel on Fox.

selected as the featured Holiday Artist at M Street Coffee, a popular destination for CH families.

Kate Rozansky ’19 and Justine Riddle ’19 were featured in the

Lifestyle section of the LA Times in an article titled, “Disposable cameras: A 90s favorite makes a comeback among millennials and Gen Z.”

Josh Adell.

BABIES

Alex Firestone ’10

welcomed Rory Trace Firestone born August 22, 2019.

Matthew Kelson ’00 and Jon McNutt ’98 and Sandy McNutt ’98 Chelsea Kelson

welcomed Zoey Sophia born September 17, 2019.

welcomed Vaughn Mason born June 18, 2018.

Amanda Wolin Moskowitz ’04 and Jon

Cheyenne Reveche Pillow ’04 and Craig

Moskowitz welcomed Daniel welcomed Harper Chloe Ryan born August Ann Reveche Pillow born 1, 2019.

September 14, 2019.

WEDDINGS

(clockwise starting from upper left)

Congratulations!

Brenna Bloom ’10 wed Alex Cascante on September 14,

2019, in Ojai, CA. Caysie Carter ’06 wed Kevin Harvey on October 26, 2019, in

Providence, RI. Nathalie Johnson ’07 wed Grayson Kelso ’06 on June 22,

2019, in Agoura, CA. Dr. Erica Rozbruch ’10 wed Rasmey Rozmid on July 16,

2019, in Pacific Palisades, CA. photo credit: Michael Segal

Henry Aleck ’11 wed Casey Almeido on September 14, 2019

in Fort Worth, TX. Scott Line ’03 wed Evelyn Aubrey Bonilla on July 28, 2019,

in Malibu, CA. Niraj Lal ’08 wed Nicky Cassinera on September 9, 2019, in

Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.

Evan Heaps ’06 wed Piera Carfagno ’06 on August 10,

2019, in Santa Monica, CA. Sloane Arcaro ’05 wed Ryan French on May 26, 2019, in

Palm Springs, CA. Jonathon Silva Culmer ’06 wed Katie Brown on October 26,

2019, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Luke Howard ’04 wed Nadia Taib on September 28, 2019, in

Los Angeles, CA.

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The presents

Ab NIGHT CIRCUS a

Expect the unexpected

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Photo credit: Kaitlyn M. ’20

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